Gas-regulator.



R. H; THOMAS, DEG'D.

M. R. THOMAS, 'EXEOUTRIX. GAS REGULATOR. APPLIOATION FILED JANJ, 1911.

I 1,013,083. Patented Dec.26,-1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFioE.

RICHARD H. THOMAS, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TO RICHARD H. THOMAS, ING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. I

. ens-REGULATOR.

Application filed January 7, 1911.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-- Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved gas regulator designed to equalize gas pressure between the source of gas supply and the point of consumption.

More specifically the invention is designed to be interposed between a gas meter and a gas engine and is adapted to regulate the supply of gas taken, by the engine, whereby the supply will be uniform at all times regardless of the pressure variations in the supply source.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of simple construction which will efficiently operate to deliver to a gas consuming apparatus, gas in desired quantities and under uniform pressure.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein the supply of gas will be automatically cut off when the engine stops working, thus excluding possiblity of gas leakage during such times, when the service of the engine is dispensed with.

The invention may be applied in numerous connections, and in the present application it is assumed that the device is interposed between a meter and a gas engine, although neither the meter nor the engine has been shown as they are not necessary to an understanding of the construction or the operation of the device.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, parts being shown in section; and Fig. 3 is a detail view of a special form of valve which I preferably employ.

Referring by reference numerals to the several figures of the drawing 10 desig nates the upper part of a casing which is designed to be clamped to the lower casing portion 11 by suitable bolts 12 passing through peripheral flanges 13 formed on the upper and lower casing sections. The interior of the casing is traversed by a flexible septum or diaphragm 14, the edges of which are firmly retained between the flanges 13 by means of the bolts 12 as shown in Fig. 1. This diaphragm is preferably made from a specially treated whole animal skin so as to be practically impervious. I

Secured to approximately the central part of the diaphragm 14 by means of a bevel headed screw 15 is a preferably wrought iron washer 16 under which is arranged a metallic disk 17, the washer and disk just referred to lying on the upper part of the diaphragm. Immediately adjacent the lower face of the diaphragm is a washer 18 of leather or the like against which a curved metallic washer nut 19 is firmly held by the screw 15. The upper casing member 10 is provided with an externally threaded sleeve or collar 20 in which a preferably aluminum valve (Fig. 3) designated generally as 21 may reciprocate. The valve 21 which is preferably longitudinally fluted or ribbed as at 21 is provided at its upper end with a flange 22 having its lower face beveled as shown at 23, this beveled face being adapted to seaton the upper correspondingly formed edge of the sleeve 20. At its lower end the valve 21 is formed with a depending sleeve 24 which is internally threaded to receive a screw 25 which may be moved up or down in the sleeve 24 to regulate the extent of reciprocation of the valve 21 in the sleeve 20. Designed to engage the threads formed on the sleeve 20 is a dome shaped cap 26 which has an upper contracted internally threaded portion 27 designed to be screwed to the nipple of a pipe leading froma gas meter (not shown).

Formed in preferably the lower casing section 11 is a socket 28 holding a stuffing box 29, said socket being provided with suitable packing material 30 to prevent escape of gas. Extending inwardly through the stuffing box 29 is a rod or shaft 31 having its inner end supported by a bearing bracket 32 and carrying at said inner end an eccentrically mounted cam 33 which may be made to contact with the metallic washer nut 19 carried by the diaphragm 14. At its outer end the rod 31 is provided with an operating pin 34 adjacent which is a set collar 35 having a set screw 36 which is adapted to be held in position by a set pin 37 entering the slot in the screw head.

38 designates a port in the upper casing section which opens into the pipe 39 leading to the gas engine (not shown) which is to be supplied with gas through the reg ulator above described, and 40 is a port leading to the pipe 41 which is carried to the outer air whereby the lower casing section is in communication with the atmosphere.

The operation of the device and the admission of gas to the bypart casing depends upon raising the valve 21 from its seat and this valve is raised by vertical oscillation of the diaphragm in the casing, such oscillation being produced either automatically during the suction strokes of the engine or manually by rotation of the rod or shaft 31 and the eccentric cam 33 to elevate the diaphragm.

The following is a detailed description of the operation of the invention: Assuming the parts to occupy the position shown in Fig. l, the valve 2l'will be at rest and in position to close the gas admission opening of the casing. If now it is desired to start the engine and to admit gas to the casing before the engine is at full speed, the shaft 31 is rotated so as to cause the cam 33 to raise the diaphragm 14 lifting the valve 21 from its seat and admitting gas to the casing as long as the cam 33 holds the diaphragm 14 raised. When the engine is in operation the gas admission is automatic, each suction stroke of the engine producing a partial vacuum in the upper casing section 10 thereby raising the diaphragm sufliciently to cause it to act against the valve 21, raising the latter from its seat and opening the port for gas admission to the casing 10. By regulating the extent to which the screw 25 projects from the sleeve 24, the stroke or lift of the valve 21 may be correspondingly regulated.

When the machine is in operation suction strokes follow each other with uninterrupted regularity, and at each such stroke a desired quantity of gas is admitted to the casing. When the engine ceases to operate Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

he valve 21 falls by gravity to its seat and thus automatically shuts off the flow of gas until such time as it is desired to start the engine again.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the device is extremely simple in construction and equally simple in operation.

The possibility of gas escape into the place where the regulator is installed is obviated by the automatic valve cut off of lhe gas and by the gas tight connections between the meter and casing, between the engine and casing and by the stuffing box arrangement 'of the manually operated rod for oscillating the diaphragm.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a gas pressure regulator adapted to be interposed between a source of gas supply and an engine, the combination of a casing having a port communicating with the source of gas supply, a flexible diaphragm in the casing adapted to be oscillated While theengine is in operation, and a valve seating by gravity over the port in the casing and having a stem one end of which normally rests against the diaphragm whereby, the valve is moved to uncover and cover said port in synchronism with the stroke of the engine.

2. In a gas pressure regulator adapted to be interposed between a source of gas supply and an engine, the combination with a casing, of a flexible diaphragm adapted to be oscillated during the suction stroke of the engine, a valve seating by gravity in the casing and having a stem one end of which normally rests against said diaphragm and adapted to automatically close communication between the casing and the source of gas supply when the engine is out of operation, and manually operable means acting against said diaphragm to move said valve and admit gas to the casing.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD H. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

OTTO MUNK, P. FRANK SoNNEK.

Washington, D. 0. 

